OMAHA, Neb. – Brandon Scanlin at the point, Chayse Primeau in front of the net and Taylor Ward hovering nearby.
It was a trio that alongside Kevin Conley and Brannon McManus seemingly moved the puck with ease and made plays, often scoring, or at least threatening on its power-play chances.
It was a recipe for that success that Maverick fans grew accustomed to during the 2021-22 campaign. Omaha finished that season tied with AIC for the NCAA’s fifth-best power play (25.9%) and its 48 power-play goals trailed only Denver (49).
Ward also scored the nation’s second most individual power-play tallies (12) and the current Ontario Reign forward – the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings – netted eight power-play goals through his first eight games during that 2021-22 season.
However, times have changed at Baxter Arena, as Omaha’s power play has taken a step back in the two years since. And this season is off to a shaky start too.
Make no mistake, it’s far from time to push the panic button, as the 2024-25 season is still just four games young. At the same time, there’s already some concern – which has been voiced throughout Omaha’s fan base this week.
“We’ve just got to look at it and we’ve got to get it going,” head coach Mike Gabinet said after Saturday’s 4-0 loss to Augustana. “For us, with the roster we have, we need it to help us score goals. We need to take a look at it and get it going.”
The 16th-ranked Mavericks are 1-for-14 to start the season on the man advantage, which is currently tied for 44th in the country. Omaha’s penalty kill has also allowed two goals over its 13 chances.
Omaha (2-2-0) went 0-for-7 on the man advantage last weekend and allowed a short-handed goal on Friday too, which tied the game early in the third period. Along with a penalty shot goal from Luke Mobley on Saturday, which the Augustana captain drew 19 seconds into a Maverick power play.
So as Maverick Hockey prepares for its third-ranked opponent of the season in No. 18 Minnesota State, much of this week’s focus was on… You guessed it, special teams. Specifically the power play.
Omaha forward Tanner Ludtke (71) brings the puck down the ice agains Minn. Duluth in the first period during a college hockey match on Friday, February 2, 2024, in Omaha, Nebraska. Photo by John S. Peterson.
It was a question mark coming into this season as Omaha went 26-for-141 (18.4%) last year, which ranked 41st out of 64 NCAA teams. Omaha was 20.8% (30-for-144) during the 2022-23 season, which ranked 23rd in the country.
Although Omaha’s roster frankly lacks proven goal scorers, the Mavs still have multiple weapons up front, headlined by Tanner Ludtke and Zach Urdahl. Along with Griffin Ludtke and Jacob Guevin on the blue line.
They’ve had talented power-play options over the past two seasons too in Ty Mueller, Jack Randl, Cameron Berg, and Joaquim Lemay, among others. But there’s still plenty of time for this year’s group to turn it around.
Now the key is finding a fix before frustration sets in.
“I think first and foremost, you have to know how hard you have to compete and be ready for it,” Gabinet said Wednesday afternoon. “Whether a mistake happens or something doesn’t go your way, or it bounces over your stick – those are out of your control. But you’ve got to make sure the controllables are at an elite level.
“That’s your attention to detail, that’s your focus, that’s your sense or urgency. So those things to me you’ve got to be relentless on and usually when you do that good things happen. So again, you can’t press the panic button, but you’ve also got to make sure you’re looking under the hood and you’re fully examining everything and doing anything you can to be successful.”
Part of that examination this week has come via video sessions put together by associate head coach Dave Noel-Bernier, who runs Omaha’s power play.
Noel-Bernier, who Gabinet added does a “really good job” with that unit, has shown a mix of NHL and NCAA clips throughout this week, along with extra on-ice work at practice.
Gabinet also mentioned that Omaha’s power play has spent too much time on the perimeter.
The Mavs mustered nine shots over their five power-play chances last Saturday but often tried to make one too many passes and failed to generate much of a net-front presence.
“I think one of the things our power play has to do is generate more in-house opportunities,” Gabinet said. “It’s great to move the puck around but your end goal is to attack the net and to get inside that area where probably 80% of the goals come from.
“I think we did a good job of that (during Wednesday’s practice) and at every opportunity you have to look to attack and have that be your first thought rather than just to move the puck around and be perimeter with it. So that’s definitely been the focus and working on the technique to allow yourself the positioning to attack before the penalty kill recovers into its structure. So those are things that you’ve got to keep improving on.”
Improve indeed.
Time will tell, but it’s certainly a unit Maverick Hockey need to get going as they look to get back on track in Mankato and beyond.
For more on this weekend’s series, click here.
